Sticking points stall final US, Afghan post-combat pact

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Afghan Army soldiers lined up for lunch at a training facility near Kabul. Washington promised Saturday to stick by Afghanistan’s nascent security forces after 2014.

By Rahim Faiez
Associated Press
May 12, 2013

KABUL — Senior American and Afghan officials held talks Saturday to try to work out the details of a key pact signed a year ago that defines the future of the United States’ commitment to Afghanistan.

The Strategic Partnership Agreement outlines a set of principles and general commitments for relations between Washington and Kabul after 2014, when foreign combat troops are to withdraw from Afghanistan.

But there is lingering uncertainty over whether either party will be willing or able to stick to the provisions of the pact, which includes several loopholes for both nations.

The meeting Saturday in Kabul between US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasoul is the second round of negotiations over how to implement the agreement, which was signed in May 2012 by President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The deal spells out Washington’s commitment to Afghanistan over the next 10 years as well as its expectations of Kabul, including free and fair presidential elections next year, pledges to fight corruption, improve efficiency, and protect human rights, including women’s rights.

Sticking points may include the amount of funds the United States provides to Afghan security forces. The two countries are also still squabbling over a separate agreement that would protect from prosecution a residual force of as many as 10,000 US troops who would stay behind after the final withdrawal.

In remarks before Saturday’s talks, Burns promised that Washington would stick by Afghanistan and its nascent national security forces after 2014 and the end to the international combat mission.

But the deal allows either country to opt out with one year’s notice, which means that Karzai’s successor in next year’s presidential elections could scuttle the agreement.

Karzai’s election in 2009 was marred by widespread allegations of corruption, vote tampering, and election fraud. He denied the charges but the acrimonious aftermath tainted his relationship with the West.

The pact emphasizes a free, fair, and transparent election in 2014. Karzai however has been relentless in his criticism of US involvement in Afghanistan’s political process, alleging Washington was maneuvering secretly to strengthen his political opposition even though he cannot run for a third term.

Burns denied that Washington was backing any candidate to replace Karzai.

‘‘We are supporting the process and not any particular candidate,’’ he said, adding the elections next year should be ‘‘transparent, credible, and inclusive.’’

Burns also repeated Washington’s support for the opening of an office for the Taliban in Qatar to provide a venue where Karzai’s High Peace Council could meet Taliban representatives to try to find a peaceful end to the 12-year war.

The Taliban have met representatives of about 30 countries, participated in international forums in Tokyo and France, and held backdoor talks with Afghanistan’s opposition politicians. But they have steadfastly refused to meet Karzai’s representatives including the High Peace Council, calling his government a ‘‘puppet.’’

The deal allows either country to opt out with one year’s notice, which means that President Karzai’s successor could scuttle the agreement.

Karzai recently accused the United States of trying to bring his political opponents and the Taliban together, an allegation US officials denied and Burns tried to dispel in his opening remarks.

‘‘We reaffirm our support for the office in Doha for the purpose of negotiation between the High Peace Council and the Taliban,’’ Burns said.

The US diplomat added that on the security front, Washington is on track to transfer full control of Afghanistan’s security to the country’s forces by the end of the year.

There are 350,000 Afghan National Security Forces deployed throughout the country, although there has been criticism that the training, which was rarely more than two months, was inadequate and Karzai has often complained of a lack of military equipment to outfit his forces.

NATO officials nonetheless say that this spring, when the weather allows more military activity, is the first of the 12-year war in which Afghan forces have done the majority of the fighting.

The next meeting is scheduled for Washington in October. Rasoul, the Afghan foreign minister, said at the last meeting he expected a conclusion of the talks within eight to 10 months but US officials are not giving a time frame.

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